


Together

by Phaenna



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, Post Season 3 AU, Radiation-free AU, Season 4 AU, Skyparents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-09-20 13:35:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9493727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phaenna/pseuds/Phaenna
Summary: In a world where radiation has been defeated and Earth is somewhere safe to live, Marcus Kane and Abby Griffin try to enjoy their new lives, the new normal of being safe, at peace… Together.





	1. Four months

**Author's Note:**

> This will be just a collection of small fluffy/angsty drabbles, loosely connected (and hopefully in chronological order). Keep in mind that most of them are a product of insomnia, and that they’re not beta-ed (I’m not a native English speaker). So, I’m sorry for every mistake you’ll find.  
> I should also clarify that I started writing this before season 4 started, and I know radiation doesn't just "go away", but let's ignore all that for the sake of this fic.

For the first time in four months, all the dots on the screen’s map turned green, and everyone held their breath. It was only a few moments later, when they kept their color and didn’t turn red immediately, that they could finally breathe.

 

“We did it.”

Marcus’ voice was raw with emotion, but the statement came with an infinite amount of questions underneath. _Did we? Is it possible we finally did it? Is it really everything okay now? Can we_ really _live at peace after everything we’ve been through?_

But Abby’s answering smile was bright, delighted, full of _hope_.

“We did, indeed.”

And there was no way any of them were to stop the tears from coming, wetting faces, clothes and souls. Not even a second later, arms were wrapping around bodies, and their lips didn’t waste any more time in joining together.

They could only taste joy.

 

Four months were spent trying to fix the mess ALIE had left behind. Four months without knowing whether the ground would become unsurvivable or not. Four months of broken hearts and restless nights. Four months where Arkadia was on edge, tears and shouting filling the air all day long.

Four months that looked like four years. Four months, and they were finally there. _Safe_.

 

That night, when both of them were cuddled together in bed, a small thing changed.

“I love you, you know that?”

It was the first time Marcus had said those words aloud, but Abby kissed his shoulder like it was a normal occurrence, and hummed an assent.

“I know, honey,” and while her voice was low, muffled against his chest, her smile was clearly there. “And I love you, too.”

Marcus just pressed his lips over the crown of her head, over and over again, hoping that she could one day understand those simple three words weren’t even near enough to convey the magnitude of all the things he felt about her.


	2. A proposal

When they were at war, everything was easy. Or well, at least it was their _normal_.

First, it was the Ark itself, a war against resources they did not have, against what they could not fix. Then, it were the Grounders: Trikru, Mount Weather, Azgeda. And even when they hadn’t really had a chance to breathe, ALIE attacked and they were prisoners of their own minds. And of course, then radiation itself.

There had never been a real peaceful moment in the last few years for any of them, let alone Abby. Sometimes she tried to remember the last time her life felt somewhat normal, and memory led her to Jake’s arms wrapped around her, Clarke silently drawing on the floor, a football match playing on a TV nobody was watching.

It felt like peace, relief, comfort...

Strangely, it felt pretty much the way she was feeling right now. A pang of guilt came out of nowhere, because here she was, another man’s arms wrapped around her, a projector playing an old movie on Arkadia’s mess hall, and a lot of kids she loved like her own sprawled in the floor, pillows everywhere, silently enjoying what they had lack of a normal life in the last months, or even years.

Abby tried hard to keep her tears at bay, not wanting to explain anything to Marcus while they were still surrounded by people, so she hid her face in his chest, hoping it was enough to hide the way her eyes were shining. He instantly knew something was wrong, a hand coming up to pet her hair, but didn’t say a word.

“You know,” she started out of nowhere, her voice a tiny hint of a whisper, sure nobody but him would be able to listen, “I still sometimes wake up in the mornings, look at you, and think ‘ _what if this is my last day here with him?_ ’ I cannot seem to shake ALIE out of my mind.”

Abby’s confession hit him hard. His breath hitched in his throat, and she could listen the way his heart rate went up under her cheeks and hand. Neither of them dared to say anything else until the movie finished, and they finally got to be alone in their quarters.

 

“About earlier…” Abby said, turning around to face him while he was still closing the door. “I just meant I wanna live my life at its fullest right here, with you.”

Marcus’ shoulders seemed to relax now, probably having thought it was a lot worse than that. Oh, typical Marcus Kane! She hugged him, then, her arms wrapping around him and hands going up his shoulder blades.

“And what I actually meant,” she continued, a smirk on her face even though he couldn’t see it, “is that I want to live _the rest_ of my life with you.”

She waited for a few seconds with no answer but Marcus’ rigid body inside her arms. Abby couldn’t do anything else but smile, laughing a little when he tried to look her in the eye, and she saw his own were wide with surprise.

“Oh, you idiot,” she sighed, “was there really any doubt at all?” Abby scoffed, a fond look in her now teary eyes. “If you want me to be more clear about it… Will you marry me, Marcus Kane?”

And the only answer he was able to give her was duck his head and crash his lips against hers, whispering a thousand things that could only mean _yes_.


	3. Back to the old times

_ Knock, knock, knock. _

Abby is alone in the Chancellor’s office when she hears someone outside the door. It’s an odd thing, given it’s three in the morning and she’s not supposed to be there. She worries a little when she thinks that someone may have been looking for her in Medical or her room but didn’t find her, and quickly leaves the reports she’s reading on the couch and stands up to open the door.

To her surprise, it’s Clarke.

Since they were able to save the last nuclear plants from exploding, and therefore saving all their lives, her daughter had been spending more and more time in Polis. Her job as the Flame Keeper was vital to the new Commander, and that was a good enough excuse, but Abby was sure she still didn’t want to talk to anyone about everything that had happen in the last months.

But now, there’s a tiny and unsure smile on Clarke’s face, and Abby’s own lights up. She immediately opens the door all the way to let her in. But Clarke just stands there awkwardly, as if she were doubting on her next words.

“Are you okay?” Abby has to ask, because even though she loves to see her daughter smiling, something on it tells her not everything might be alright.

“Yeah, sure. I was just wondering…” her smile falters, and Abby notices she’s fidgeting with her shirt. “I know Kane is in Polis…” Abby’s eyes widen. 

“Did something happen there?” 

“No, no, mom!” Clarke touches her mother’s shoulder, trying to reassure her. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’re alone, and I thought…” She doubts for a moment. “Nevermind, it’s okay,” she tries to smile again, “I guess you were working, I’ll leave you to it. Goodnight, Mom.”

But she doesn’t have the opportunity to walk away, because Abby’s hand is immediately on hers, and then she’s being tugged into a hug. After a few seconds, Clarke draws back and sees a smile on her mother’s face.

“You know,” she starts to say, a warm look in her eyes, “if you wanted to sleep in my bed like when you were little, you should’ve told me hours ago. I really needed an excuse to get out of here.”

Clarke smiles. After everything that had happened between them, she is glad her mother still knows her like the palm of her hand. Abby gently pushes her out of the door, turns off the light, and starts guiding the way to her quarters.  _ Marcus’  _ quarters. Neither of them talks until they’re under the covers, snuggled against each other.

“You know,” Clarke starts, “I really missed this. I could actually move back with you and leave those bunk rooms…”

Seeing the way Abby’s expression shifts, the girl snorts. “Don’t worry, Mom. I have no intention to give Kane a heart attack if he returns to Polis to see you’ve kicked him out of his own room.” And at that, Abby has to laugh, too. “But you still have tell him that,” Clarke adds, “I need to see his face.”

Abby doesn’t answer, merely nods her agreement with a fond smile on her lips, and presses a kiss on the crown of Clarke’s head. In just a few minutes, relishing on the warmness of each other and the old memories the situation brings, the both of them are fast asleep. 


	4. Drunk and not-quite-married

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby is drunk... And that's never a good thing.

“I don’t know why I married him.”

The statement is thrown so lightly and carefree, that Raven doesn’t know what Abby is talking about at first, so it takes her a few seconds to realize the actual meaning of the words. She is silent for a moment, not knowing how to react or answer to that piece of information. And, more importantly, not understanding why is Abby telling her this now. 

It is a cold night despite being spring, and the fire pit is full of people drinking and just enjoying each other’s company. Clearly, Abby has had way too many mugs of moonshine, not only because of her red cheeks and the way she’s slurring her words, but also because she’s not used to openly talk about her feelings. Even less to talk about Jake.

“Abby…” she mumbles, not comfortable at all with the situation she’s in. She turns around searching for Clarke, because if she learns that her mother is drunkenly regretting marrying her deceased father, all hell will break loose. But Abby’s daughter doesn’t seem to be around, and Raven sighs. “Why the hell are you telling me…?” The girl doesn’t have the chance to finish her sentence, because Abby interrupts her as if she hadn’t realized someone was speaking to her.

“It’s just like I don’t exist anymore…” 

Just when Raven follows her eyes and realizes she had been looking at Marcus, she relaxes a little and smiles. But still, something inside her stomach turns in regret:  _ of course _ Abby wasn’t talking about Jake. She kept wearing his ring around her neck for a long time, and hers will probably never be forgotten; that kind commitment is not from a woman who wishes she had never been married.

“Abby,” in Raven’s face there is now a wide smile, “you  _ do  _ realize you’re not actually married to Kane, don’t you?”

Abby doesn’t seem to listen, staring at Marcus. He’s on patrol that night, and is now walking around the fence with David Miller by his side; even though he has a gun on his arms, he seems almost relaxed, enjoying the night and the conversation. But he doesn’t realize Abby is there, so he isn’t able to see the way she’s glaring at him.

“But what’s the point of having a husband if he’s barely there?” Abby doesn’t really mean it, and she realizes it even in her drunken state. Regardless, she doesn’t take it back.

“He’s  _ not really  _ your husband,” Raven insists, but she’s ignored once again.

“I miss him, you know? I’m working all day, and lately all his shifts are at night, and I...”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Raven groans, interrupting her, “please tell me this is not about sex.”

That is enough to make Abby come back to Earth.

“What? No!” she shakes her head and immediately regrets it, the whole camp blurrying around her. “But he seems happy, not spending time with me, without us really seeing each other at all. What if…?” But she doesn’t have the chance to finish her question. 

They both see Marcus coming closer, and while Raven hopes Abby doesn’t make a fool of herself, part of her is actually counting on it. She smirks when he finally stops in front of them.

“Goodnight, ladies,” he says, smiling to Raven and bending down to press a kiss on Abby’s hair. But, to the surprise of everyone watching ⎯Raven and some of the people around them⎯, Abby moves her head aside and casts him a reproachful glance. “What the…? Is everything okay?”

She avoids answering because doesn’t have any rational thing to say, so she promptly ignores him in hopes he stops asking. 

Then she tries to stand up, reclutanctly letting Marcus grab her arm in order not to fall when the world starts moving around her, and tries to leave for her room immediately. After taking a few shaky steps, Abby stabilizes herself and Marcus releases her arm, not following despite Raven’s arched eyebrow. 

He’s definitely not fighting with a drunk Abby tonight, so whatever the problem is, it will have to wait until the morning… Even if it means sleeping alone in the Chancellor’s office couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for all the grammar mistakes you found there, I'm posting all of this without being beta read.


	5. Baby talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What started as the “did you really get another pet?!” talk ended up being the “do you want to have a baby?” talk. And I’m not sorry at all.

Nathan Miller appeared through the door with a box on his hands. Medical was quiet that night, and Abby thought that was perfect to try and do inventory, despite hating every single second of it. So, with Nate’s interruption, she set aside the tablet she was working with and smiled up at him. To be honest, she was relieved she was having an easy way out of it, and stood up to take the box from his hands.

“It’s okay, I can do it,” she said when the kid insisted to take it himself to the stockroom. The box was full of nothing but clothes, blankets and some towels, and she easily lifted it and took it there herself. “Can I do anything more for you, Nate?”

The kid shook his head, but a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

“What is it?” And this time, her mom voice was there. That didn’t stop him from grinning a little more; if only, it just encouraged him.

“Kane is waiting for you outside,” he said, and Abby rose an eyebrow at his playful tone. “He’s a little bit scared, I have to tell you.”

“Scared?” Abby laughed, comforted by his tone that everything was alright. “Marcus Kane, scared?”

“Scared of _you_ _,_ actually.”

“Well, that’s no news,” she joked, and walked past him to leave Medical for the night, patting his shoulder as she went.

But Marcus was nowhere to be found outside the door. She thought about looking for him on the Chancellor’s office, but didn’t have the energy to try and convince him to go to bed if he was there working, so she just went towards their room. Abby was surprised, then, when she found Marcus there. He was perched on the bed, trying to look calm, but it wasn’t working.

“Everything okay?” Abby asked, feigning ignorance on his state, while she leaned down to press a chaste kiss on his lips. They hadn’t seen each other since last night, with Marcus going to Polis for a stocking trip, and Abby taking the late shift in Medical. But that was okay, one night and one day were nothing compared to the eternity they still had to live. She smiled at the thought, thinking back on the days they thought they had only a few months left...

“Yeah, sure,” Marcus said, oblivious to her musings. “I just…” but he couldn’t continue, and he couldn’t look at her.

Abby frowned, recalling the wording Nathan had used. Scared? He didn’t look scared, just nervous. But why would he…?

Suddenly, she heard a noise under the bed while she was taking her boots off. And when she stopped and tried to look for its source, she felt how something was now over one of her feet. Something warm, furry and suspiciously _purring._

“Damn it, Marcus!” was all she could say when she finally saw the tiny yellow kitten trying to crawl up her legs. Abby couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. She had told the kids a thousand times that they couldn’t bring another animal to Arkadia: Chewy, the dog the delinquents had adopted as their own, was enough trouble to add another pet to the equation. But _of course_ it would be Marcus the one to bring home a cat, of all animals.

“I’m sorry,” he started, looking up at her, but he didn’t seem like he was, “they were going to kill her, and I couldn’t…”

“ _Her_ _?_ ”

“Yes,” and, for the first time, Marcus’ smile shone bright on his face. “Whiskers.”

“ _Whiskers_ _?_ ”

“It’s her name,” he says slowly, as though she was confused. Abby ignored that and raised an eyebrow.

“You do realize that’s a cat’s body part, don’t you? It’s like calling our baby Leg, or… I don’t know, Eyebrow...” She had to stop talking when she noticed Marcus was looking at her with wide eyes. “What is it? I’m sure you knew it was a ridiculous name for…”

“You said _our_ baby,” he pointed out lightly, and Abby’s heart skipped a beat while she tried to recall her exact words. She hadn’t meant to say _our,_  she was talking in general, but the word had slipped there, and now Marcus was - He couldn’t be thinking she was pregnant, could he?

“Marcus…” Abby tried to say something, anything, but she had no words at the moment. He was still looking at her with an expression she didn’t quite recognize, and her heart started beating faster.

She did the only thing she could think of doing at the moment: bent down, grabbed the tiny kitten in her hands, and put it in her lap. Whiskers - and Abby tried hard not to roll her eyes - quickly settled over her legs and closed its eyes, still purring. At the sight, she had to smile a little, but it soon disappeared from her face when her eyes locked with Marcus’ once more.

“Marcus,” she started again, taking a deep breath, “I didn’t mean anything by it.” It was said in a whisper, and Abby was uncertain he had heard the words at all. He was still looking at her, mouth slightly opened as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure. After a few seconds, Marcus closed his eyes.

“I know,” he sighed, and opened them again. “I know, Abby, I’m sorry.”

She frowned. “You’re sorry for what, exactly?”

“For bringing up the baby thing. I thought you could be thinking…” But he wasn’t able to finish, Abby’s hand setting on his forearm and silencing him with the look on her eyes.

“I stopped thinking about wanting a baby the day I had Clarke,” she confessed, dubious of the turn the conversation was having. “That was it,” she felt the need to explain, “we had no option for a second child on the Ark, and…”

“But we’re not on the Ark,” Marcus interrupted, and Abby stared at him blankly for a few seconds.

“Are you trying to tell me what I think you’re trying to tell me?”

Marcus blinked.

“I don’t know what is it you think I want to tell you, Abby, but…” he shook his head a little helplessly, trying to organize his thoughts. “Look, I also never thought about having a baby back on the Ark, but…”

“Marcus…”

“Please, let me finish,” he asked, and Abby fell silent. “I think we should have this talk at some point, and what’s better than now for...?”

“I never took my implant off,” she had to interrupt again, “if that’s the question you wanted to ask.” Marcus looked confused by her words, and Abby frowned. “That wasn’t it?”

“Not at all,” he said, a tiny smile growing on his face. “I was just wondering if you’d _like_ to have a baby. Not accidentally, not as something that happened but you know it shouldn’t have. If you would ever think about it like something good, like… Like something to add to our lives.”

Abby felt a lump on her throat at his words. Marcus never had the chance to experience the joy it was to bring a child into the world, never listened the word “dad” directed at him for the first time, never had tiny fingers wrapped around his hand trusting he would never let go… And that broke her heart. She knew he was saying the truth: on the Ark, he had never wanted a child. She was Callie’s best friend, she knew what Marcus had thought about children back then, and it wasn’t a good thing. But now… Now they had no rationing, no limited air or room, no law telling people they’d die if they ever birthed a second child. Now, it was his chance.

“Do _you_ want to have a baby?” she asked back, trying to hold back her tears. She was not ready to answer his question, not yet. She had to think a lot more about that before she was able to say something rational about the topic.

Marcus didn’t answer immediately, but moved closer to her and started petting the cat asleep on her lap, shooking his head.

“Nevermind,” he sighed without looking up at her, and tried to smile, but failed, “it doesn’t matter.”

“It _does_ matter, Marcus. If you just…”

But a knock on the door and a “ _Dr. Griffin?_ ” call interrupted her words. Emergencies tended to come up, and if someone had come looking for her on their quarters, it had to be something important.

“I’m going!” Abby announced, and lowered her voice for her next words. “We’re continuing this when I come home,” she said moving to stand up, taking the cat off her lap and giving it to Marcus. “And don’t think for a moment I’m not mad about the damn cat… But she can stay.” And he had to smile at her words, in spite of himself. “For now, at least” Abby added, but there was a smile on her face too, and she bent down to press a kiss on his forehead before she finally left.

If Abby was honest with herself, she was nervous about the prospect of coming back and returning to that topic. The fact that she still didn’t know the answer to such a simple question meant nothing, she thought, but deep down she knew it wasn’t true; it was far more complicated than that. But, as everything on the ground, the much dreaded baby talk would have to wait until the current crisis had been overcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Kabby fandom has been having baby fever these last few weeks, and I've been going over this idea for quite some time. To be honest, this started just as "Abby is angry with Marcus because of the cat, they fight and then make up", but... The baby topic has been all over the place, and I just had to write something about it. I don't know if I'll go over this again on next drabbles, but I'll see where my insomnia takes me tomorrow ;)
> 
> Again, I'm so sorry for all the grammar mistakes.


	6. Exhaustion

When Marcus gets home, Abby is not there, and it doesn’t surprise him at all. Their schedules have been all over the place in the last weeks, and there’s not much to do about it but hope they can at least see the other curling up in bed besides them when they wake up.

That’s what happens six hours later, when Marcus feels the thin mattress shift besides him and moves to make place for Abby to settle after what has probably been an exhausting shift in Medical. He doesn’t open his eyes, and he thinks she’s fallen asleep already, but then Abby starts talking.

“I can’t do this anymore…” 

It’s a whisper, she doesn’t want to say it louder, doesn’t really want to listen to herself admitting that reality. “I’m exhausted, Marcus…” After that, Abby lets herself cry on his shoulder for a few minutes, letting him hold her tight, before pulling back a little, still in his arms. 

“You know,” Marcus starts, an eyebrow raised while he moves his thumb across Abby’s cheek, cleaning the traces of tears, “we should really go on vacation.”

A beat.

“Vacation?” she finally snorts, a little of her usual self coming back up. On the Ark, they never had such thing. And down there on Earth, when all they could think about was surviving those different crisis and settling down, it seemed silly just to think about something like it.

“I think I know just the place,” he says, smiling with a different spark on his eyes, and Abby worries for a second because, for the first time, she has no idea what’s he talking about. “Be ready tomorrow by noon… We’re going camping.”

And oh, even though he was insufferable most of the time, how much she loved that man!


	7. The Holy Couch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little nonsense because I still can’t believe the Holy Couch was burnt in Arkadia’s fire. So, given this is an AU, here it is. Tiny nsfw paragraphs followed by SkyParents worried about one of their reckless children, as it should be.

The Chancellor’s office couch has always been a soft spot for Abby and Marcus. It was there where they started sleeping together, albeit in the most innocent of ways. Some days, they’d woke up with the sun on their faces, and realized they had fallen asleep going through Sinclair’s reports on the new heat system. On other days, they would work silently on the table, listening to the soft snores of the other, taking an unexpected nap on the couch in the middle of the afternoon.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons why Abby decides to push Marcus down on the couch and swiftly crawl on his lap, straddling him. _They have never done it there._ It’s late in the night and even though the door has no lock, neither of them can bring themselves to care. They languidly kiss for a few minutes, until Abby starts to grind harder against his growing erection and all the papers he was working at fall from the couch.

“Abby,” he tries to say, gently pushing her away so she doesn’t throw the tablet to the floor with her knee. But Abby is insistent, and Marcus has to chuckle when she puts some space between them shifting back on his lap, and manages to open his pants and swiftly take out his cock with just one hand. That woman…

She smiles proudly and he laughs again, until she puts her small hand in a tight fist around it, then teasing the head and spreading drops of pre-cum all over it. Marcus gasps, Abby grins, and both of them are so glad it’s three in the morning and everyone’s asleep inside the metal structure of the fallen Ark. Especially when Marcus’ hand sneaks between their bodies and presses over her crotch, feeling her heat over her jeans and making it her turn to moan loudly, trying to grind against his hand to relieve some pressure.

They torture each other for a little more, Abby’s hand moving up and down his cock with small movements that are barely there, leaving him breathless and increasingly annoyed. Marcus, on the other hand, keeps putting sweet pressure on the front of her tight pants, dragging his nails over it as if scratching an itch, yet with apparently no intention to pry them open and sneak his hand inside, which is driving Abby insane.

After a few minutes, her arousal-fogged mind realizes he’s in _that_ mood, ready to make her crazy with need and beg for what she wants before he relents, and decides _he_ will be the one begging by the end of the night. But the moment Abby crawls off his lap and falls to her knees, her mouth not even an inch away from the swollen head of his cock, someone starts knocking repeatedly on the door.

“Shit,” she whispers, and her breath tickles Marcus in return, making him moan in the back of his throat, earning him a hissed “shut up!” from Abby. Maybe, she thinks, if they make no sound the other person will think they are either not there or asleep, and will leave them alone. They have no intention of facing whoever is on the other side of the door while they’re like this, both breathless and disheveled, Abby on her knees between Marcus’ legs, his pants open and hanging loose around his hips.

There’s another knock on the door, louder this time, and both of them hold their breath while Abby slowly starts to stand up, pushing herself up with her hands on his knees.

“Fuck,” is all she can say, annoyed at whoever is interrupting them that late, and her whisper makes Marcus’ laugh silently.

“That was the goal,” he answers, raising an eyebrow with a cocky grin while helping her up. She swats him lightly on the head, and moves to sit on his lap again before there’s yet another knock, even more insistent than the others, on the door.

“Abby?” Jackson’s voice is low, but they can hear the worry seeping through it. “Can I come in?”

He wouldn’t wait much longer if she gave no answer: that wasn’t her room, she couldn’t hold him off saying she would have to get dressed. So she did the sensible thing: stood up, threw a blanket over Marcus’ lap, and a pillow for good measure she noticed his erection was still visible.

“Is everything okay, Jackson?” Abby asks while opening the door just a little, her voice hoarse with what Jackson can only think is sleep.

“I’m sorry I woke you up,” he starts, “but we need you. Octavia got in a fight with some Ice Nation warrior, and it was pretty bad. I know your shift starts in a few hours, but I’m literally falling asleep and I can’t possibly stitch her intestines back together until the coffee decides to kick in…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” she interrupts him before he keeps rambling and trying to justify himself. It warms her heart, and she has to smile despite the dread sinking in her stomach at the thought of Octavia being injured for what seems like the tenth time that month. “Let me put my boots back on and I’ll be there. Is she already prepped for surgery?”

“Yeah, everything’s ready. I sent John to look for the Chancellor immediately, but he wasn’t in his room…”

“He’s here,” Abby mumbles, knowing Marcus is hearing their conversation and probably wanting to run to Medical as fast as he can. “But he just fell asleep, maybe we could send someone back when Octavia’s stable. Now go, move, I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Abby comes back inside and closes the door, searching around the room for her long abandoned boots, which are obviously next to the couch since the moment she first pushed Marcus on it. She sits down to put them on, and feels a hand curling around her shoulder. He doesn’t have to put into words what he’s thinking, what he’s silently begging for.

“After that girl’s intern organs are all stitched up, I trust you to never let her outside Arkadia again until she’s eighteen.”

At Abby’s words, Marcus chuckles a little and sighs. They stare at each other for a second, both nervous and worried, as they always are in these situations. Then he presses a light kiss on her forehead and gently pushes her out of the door. He trusts her, as a doctor and as his partner, and knows she’ll do her best for Octavia _once again_.

Hours later, when Abby goes back to her room to sleep a few hours before she has to be in Medical again, she can barely stand on her feet. Marcus is there, of course, and by the look of it he hasn’t managed to sleep for a second since they left the Chancellor’s office. Neither of them speak, but Abby smiles to tell him Octavia is fine, out of danger and sleeping soundly in Medical, as sedated as they could get her, knowing she’d jump back into action at any minute.

Already half-asleep by the moment she manages to takes off her clothes, Abby climbs into bed, pillows her head on Marcus’ chest, and lets his steady heartbeat finally lull her to sleep. But in the back of their minds while drifting to sleep, both of them know she’ll deserve a long night of something that’s definitely not rest, so Marcus can tell her with his hands and tongue how thankful he is that Abby is in their lives.


End file.
